Structural and Functional Dynamics of Dehydrins: A Plant Protector Protein under Abiotic Stress

Abstract

Abiotic stress affects the growth and development of crops tremendously, worldwide. To avoid adverse environmental effects, plants have evolved various efficient mechanisms to respond and adapt to harsh environmental factors. Stress conditions are associated with coordinated changes in gene expressions at a transcriptional level. Dehydrins have been extensively studied as protectors in plant cells, owing to their vital roles in sustaining the integrity of membranes and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Dehydrins are highly hydrophilic and thermostable intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), with at least one Lys-rich K-segment. Many dehydrins are induced by multiple stress factors, such as drought, salt, extreme temperatures, etc. This article reviews the role of dehydrins under abiotic stress, regulatory networks of dehydrin genes, and the physiological functions of dehydrins. Advances in our understanding of dehydrin structures, gene regulation and their close relationships with abiotic stresses demonstrates their remarkable ability to enhance stress tolerance in plants.

Negative Roles of Strigolactone-Related SMXL6, 7 and 8 Proteins in Drought Resistance in Arabidopsis

“…These results suggested that SMXL6, 7 and 8 genes were involved in the regulation of mechanisms associated with, at least, these investigated drought resistance-related traits. An increase in cell membrane integrity can help plants prevent leaf water loss as reported by various studies [55][56][57][58]. Furthermore, the higher leaf surface temperatures observed in smxl6,7,8 mutant plants in comparison with WT plants under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions supported the reduced leaf water transpiration from the smxl6,7,8 mutant versus WT plants (Figure 3a-c).…”

Dehydrins: an overview of current approaches and advancement

“…An important feature of DHNs is that they contain a conserved K-segment which is lysine-rich 15-residue motif, EKKGIMDKIKEKLPG. K-segment can be found in 1 to 11 copies near the C terminus of DHN molecules and participate in forming an amphipathic α-helix that may interact with lipid membrane or partially denatured proteins (Close, 1996;Bao et al, 2017;Liu et al, 2017;Yu et al, 2018).…”

“…DHNs are found in a wide variety of organisms including, angiosperm, gymnosperm, bryophyte, fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria (Bao et al, 2017;Yu et al, 2018). Angiosperms contain all five architectures, while gymnosperms only contain Kn and SKn DHNs.…”

“…In many YnSKn-type DHNs, there was a fixed motif (GXGGRRKK (where X can be any amino acid)) between the K-segment and S-segment, which pointed out a potential functional linkage between K-and S-segments. The GXGG motif, highly elastic, takes part in the interaction of negatively charged phosphoserines with K-segment, while RRKK motif is assumed to be a nuclear settlement signal (Yu et al, 2018).…”

Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Salt Tolerance Mechanisms Present in Date-Plum Persimmon Rootstock (Diospyros Lotus)

“…Previous studies have contributed knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that regulate plant´s physiological responses to salinity in both model and economically important crops (13)(14)(15). Those mechanisms involve changes in gene expression associated to several biological processes such as ionic transport and exchange mechanisms (16), photosynthesis (17), avonoid biosynthesis (18), ROS scavenging and detoxi cation (19), ethylene production (20), signalling networks related to ABA (Abscisic Acid) (21) and protein refolding (22). Expression of different functional genes related to osmoregulation and cell protection as dehydrins and aquaporins are involved as well in salinity response (22)(23)(24).…”